Can your Main Street Pass the Walkability Popsicle Test?

In his recent blog post, What Pictures Can Teach Us About Walkability, Kaid Benfield suggests that we can use some very simple techniques to determine how well our downtown is doing.  Benfield’s emphasis is on sustainable communities, which, he argues, are perhaps best described as communities that are walkable. Benfield asks, “is [the community] safe, [...]

Attracting, Developing and Retaining Main Street Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are generally pretty imaginative people, but some may need a creative venue and an audience to help them articulate their ideas. Staunton Creative Community Fund’s (SCCF) recent Ignite Staunton! campaign proved to be the creative outlet that entrepreneur Michael Reeps needed to make his unique business concept a reality. Last fall’s Ignite Staunton!, partly [...]

South Boston paints its empty store fronts

Empty store fronts are a drag on Main Street. They break up the flow of the Main Street commercial district, and studies show that they discourage shoppers from exploring downtown. But, what can be done? Well, how about turning empty store fronts into canvases for local artists? Check out this video to see the artistic [...]

Culpeper – 2012 Great American Main Street Awards Semi-Finalist

Congratulations to the Town of Culpeper, which was recently named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the top 10 semi-finalists for the 2012 Great American Main Street Awards (GAMSA). The semi-finalists have demonstrated their ability to preserve their unique history while creating and maintaining vibrant, successful commercial districts that serve as the heart [...]

Staunton in Preservation Magazine

The recent history of one of Virginia travelers’ favorite Main Street  communities was recently showcased in Preservation – The Magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Secret of Staunton’s Success explains how the city used historic preservation as an economic engine to transform the downtown. Starting with the restoration of a handful of [...]

Radford – Past the Tipping Point

According to WDBJ7.com, Radford is past the “tipping point” and Main Street Radford’s vision to create “a destination district widely recognized as the best place in the New River Valley for an independent business to succeed and grow” is becoming a reality. Entrepreneurs are setting up shop in once empty storefronts, and visitors can add [...]